Ship to be turned into scrap

The severely damaged side of the stricken Costa Concordia is visible after the parbuckling operation successfully uprighted the ship.

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GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy - Engineers are declaring success after the Costa Concordia cruise ship was pulled upright during a 19-hour operation to wrench it from its side where it capsized last year off Tuscany.

The project now allows for a renewed search for the two bodies that were never recovered from the 32 dead, and for the ship to eventually be towed away.

The Concordia's submerged side suffered significant damage during the 20 months it bore the weight of the Concordia on the reef, and Monday's operation to right it put stresses on that flank as well. Exterior balconies were mangled and sections of the exterior looked warped.

The damage must be repaired to stabilize the ship so it can withstand the winter and be towed away and turned into scrap sometime in 2014.